Rotary stapling mechanism



Jan. 7, 1958 G. TURRALL ET AL 2,818,568

ROTARY STAPLING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorney:

Jan. 7, 1958 G. TURRALL ET AL 2,818,568

ROTARY STAPLING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inenters:

?W Mu Alto ngys Jan. 7, 1958 G. TURRALL ETAL 2,818,568

ROTARY STAPLING MECHANISM Filed March 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Inventors; 10471 9 Atto neyJ Jan. 7, 1958 G. TURRALL ETAL 2,818,563

ROTARY STAPLING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 14, 1955 7lnventgrs;

Atto neya grates RUTARY STAPLTNG MECHANISM George Turrall, WandsworthCommon, London, and John Thomas Murreii, Barking, Engiand, assignors toR. W. Crabtree & Sons Limited, Leeds, England This invention relates torotary stapling mechanism to be employed to staple together webs (orsheets) such as those issuing from a printing machine.

The invention is concerned more especially with stapling mechanismcomprising a punch cylinder having a punch which as the cylinder rotatesforces a length of staple forming wire into a staple forming die in arotating die cylinder, the staple being carried in the die to a staplingposition at which it is ejected and forced through the webs to bestapled; the staple is clenched by an anvil on a third rotating cylinderbetween which and the die cylinder pass the webs to be stapled.

Now according to one feature of this invention, the die cylinder isfitted with a staple driving component which is diametrally displaceablein the cylinder between limit stops and presents at least one of itsends to the punch so that the component is displaced by it to eject anddrive by its other end a staple which was formed by the punch in anearlier part of the rotation of the die cylinder, and in addition, shockabsorbing buffers are interposed between the component and its stops toabsorb the shock of impact.

Such a stapling mechanism is required to operate at the high speeds ofmodern rotary printing machines; the rate of vibration of the componentwould therefore be very great and the component would be liable todestruction by fatigue due to reversing shock impacts at high frequency;it has however been found that the buffers protect the component fromdamage on that account.

The arrangement of the component can be such as to form and drive twostaples in each rotation of the die cylinder which requires that the twoends of the component are engaged in succession by the punch to form astaple at the one end and to drive the preformed staple at the otherend; in such a case the punch alone moves the component first in onedirection and then in the other.

in other cases it would be sutficient to form and drive one staple ineach rotation of the die cylinder: in this case also the component couldbe displaced in both directions by the punch operating first to form astaple against one end of the component and then later against the otherend to drive that staple; it is, however, preferred that thestapledriving displacement of the component shall be effected againstthe action of a return spring arrangement: in such a case, the componentcould be limited by the return motion stop so that the appropriate endis not engaged by the punch but sits flush with the base of the staplewhen it is formed by the punch in the recess.

The staple forming die in the die cylinder is conveniently formedbetween cheek blocks having radial grooves into which the die forces orbends a length of wire to the required U shape with the limbs of the Ulying in the grooves.

The frictional engagement between the legs of the staple and the die canbe relied upon to hold the staple in position (after the punch haswithdrawn from the die) while the staple is being carried round toejecting position: however it is preferred to provide the die with aspring finger ice which is deflected when the punch enters the die inthe staple forming operation and reacts as the punch recedes from thedie to exert sufficient drag to hold the staple in the die.

The punch can be fixed to its cylinder: however, as the staple drivingcomponent is of fixed length and its ends are successively presented tothe webs which pass between the die and anvil cylinders, the radialposition of that end of the component which is presented to the punchwill depend upon the thicknessof the webs and that thickness can varyfrom one product to another. Again, in the staple driving operation,webs of different runs may resist to different degrees the compressiveaction of the'punch.

According to a further feature of this invention, the punch is mountedin the punch cylinder to have a limited reciprocatory movement in it sothat the punch is enabled to accommodate itself to the position of theend of the compartment which it is engaging: the punch may be subjectedto a light spring action biasing it to a normal position.

The punch is enabled to accommodate itself automatically or give way tothe position occupied by the end of the component as the two move intheir circular orbits into cooperation. This avoids the necessity forcareful radial setting of the punch which would otherwise be necessary.In addition, the arrangement of this invention ensures that a tightlyformed staple will result without the danger of over-compression of theparts involved and consequent risk of breakage.

The punch and die can be arranged to form staples with their base limbin alignment longitudinally of the die cylinder for effecting transversestapling, or transversely of the cylinder to eifect longitudinalstapling. Moreover, the mechanism can be arranged to staple what aretermed collect and non-collect products.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a machine which incorporates bothfeatures of the invention. In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the output end of a printing machineequipped with the stapling mechanism of this invention,

Figure 2 is a local end elevation to a larger scale of the staplingmechanism,

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view looking approximately in the directionof the arrow III in Figure 2,

Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views showing the parts in difieren'tpositions,

Figure 6 is a local end elevation of the staple wire cutting mechanism,and

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the staple forming die and thearrangement to enable collect and non collect products to be stapled.

Reference firstly to Figure 1, this illustrates a well known form of theoutput or delivery end of a printing machine: it comprises two cylinders1, 2 between which pass associated webs W to be stapled, the cylinder 1having cutting knives 3, 4 and the cylinder 2 cutting blocks 5, d, theknives and the blocks serving to cut the webs into product lengths. Thewebs are taken to a collecting cylinder 7 having taking devices 8, 9,1t] and folding blades 11, 12, 13 which operate to fold the sheetlengths now cut from the webs W into folding rollers 14, 15.

In what is known as a non-collect run, the sheet lengths pass straightthrough to the folding rollers: in the case of a collect run, the takingdevices 8, 9, 19 are operated so that every other sheet length cut fromthe associated web is taken around with the collecting cylinder 7 andassembled with further sheet lengths to form a collected product whichthen passes to the folding rollers.

The present invention is concerned with mechanism by which theassociated sheet lengths (whether collected or non-collected) arestapled together. This mechanism comprises a cylinder 16 which is in theform of a disc and which will be termed the die cylinder and a cylinder17 which will be termed the punch cylinder, the disc being mounted on ashaft 16.

To the die cylinder is fed a length of staple forming wire 18 which isdrawn from a supply reel 19 by feed rollers 20, 21. This wire isadvanced continuously between the cylinder 16 and a control plate 22 andpast a cutter 23 which as the cylinder rotates is actuated by a striker245 on the cylinder to sever a staple forming length of wire from theleading end of the wire 13.

The die cylinder 16 is also provided with wire taking beaks 25, 26disposed at each side of a staple forming recess 27 having side wallsformed with wire-receiving recesses 23'. As will be seen from Figure 7,the length of wire L when taken by the beaks 25, 26 is positioned tospan the recess 27, this occurring when the beaks pass the wire feedline.

The punch cylinder 17 has a punch 29 and as the cylinder continuouslyrotates the punch rolls in the manner of intermeshing gear teeth intothe recess 2'7. In so doing, the punch forces the length L of wire intothe recess to form the familiar U-shaped staple.

Slidably mounted in a diametrally extending passage or opening in thedie cylinder 16 is a double ended component or plunger 28. One end ofthis component in one position of the latter forms a base wall of therecess 27 at the time the punch 29 forces the wire into the recess. Theformed staple is carried round by the rotation of the die cylinder 16until the end of the component registers with a clenching die 30 on thecollecting cylinder 7. The punch cylinder 17 rotates at twice theangular speed of the die cylinder 16 and therefore when the component 28registers at one end with the clenching die the other end registers withthe punch 2d. In the result, the punch displaces the component 28 sothat the staple carrying end is substantially flush with the surface ofthe cylinder and ejects the previously formed staple and forces its legsthrough the webs, the legs being turned over by the clenching die 39 tocomplete the stapling operation.

Reference will now be made especially to Figures 4 and which show thedouble-ended component 28. The diametral movement of the component isnecessarily limited in the die cylinder 16 and this is achieved in theconstruction shown by forming the component with a limit stop,enlargement, or flange 31 and by forming the cylinder with twopreferably annular limit or stop members 32, 33 projecting laterallyinwardly of the passage in the path of the flange and through which thecomponent 28 extends, the limiting means or stops 3233 being spaced fromthe limiting means or flange 31 in the direction of movement of thecomponent 28. If the flange were allowed to engage the stops direct, thecomponent would be liable to destruction by shock fatigue, but this isavoided by interposing between the flange 31 and the two stops 32-, 33shock absorbing buffers 34, 35 which are deformable in the direction ofmovement of the component 8 and can be formed by blocks or as shown byrings of rubber threaded on to the component. The distance between thestops can be slightly greater than the overall length of the buffers andthe flange 31 so that the component 28 is permitted a small unbuiferedmovement in both directions.

The stops are formed by the end walls of bushes in the die cylinder 16and in order still further to reduce the impact shock, these ends can befaced with a fabric reinforced plastic applied in the form of washers36.

In the particular construction shown, a single staple is formed anddriven by the punch in each rotation of the die cylinder 16. In thiscase only one end of the component 23 requires to be impacted by thepunch 29, the other end, while forming the base of the staple formingrecess, just touching the cross limb of the U-shaped staple when formedby the punch. This requires that the stop 33 shall be appropriatelypositioned to hold the component as is shown Figure 4, which shows theparts at the end of the staple forming position; it also requires that,as the punch moves the component 28 in only one direction to the limitimposed by the stop 32, provision must be made to return the component28 in readiness for the next staple forming and driving opera tion. Thisis effected in the construction shown by a return spring 37; this springis preferably more closely wound at its ends than at its intermediatepart.

in the case where two staples are formed and driven in each rotation,the component would have both of its ends displaced by the punch 29which simultaneously forms the staple against one end which is displacedso that the other end drives the staple which was previously formed bythe punch. in this case, the component requires no return spring 37 asit is moved first in one direction and then in the other by the punch.

The position of the driving end of the component 28 (i. e. the left handend as seen in the driving position shown in Figure 5) will depend insome degree on the thickness of the webs and on the resistance of thepaper to the staple insertion: the component 28 being of fixed length,its other end to be engaged by the punch 29 will consequently vary inposition of presentation to the punch.

To enable the punch to accommodate itself to such variation so avoidingclose adjustment of the parts, the punch may as shown be mounted in thepunch cylinder 17 for limited free radial movement preferably againstthe action of a light biasing spring The extent of movement of the punchcould be of the order of about 0.06, this having been found adequate forthe purpose.

in the arrangement shown, the side wall or walls of the die or recess 27can incorporate a spring finger 27' as is shown for one wall in Figure7, the finger serving to hold the formed staple in the recess as thepunch 29 recedes.

As has been stated, the mechanism can be arranged to staple collectedand non-collected products. This is provided by arranging firstly thatthe rate of feed of the wire 18 shall be variable, being at one speedfor a collect run and at twice that sneed for a non-collect run: forthis purpose the wire feed rollers 2d, 21 are arranged to be driven by avariable speed gearing driven from the shafts of the cylinders 7 or 16.

Secondly the wire taking beaks 25, 26 are controlled so that a length ofwire is taken either in every other rotation of the die cylinder 16 (forstapling a collected product) or in every rotation of the cylinder (fora noncollected product}, and the cutter 23 is operated similarly to cuta staple-forming length of wire once in every other rotation of the diecylinder or in every rotation.

To effect this, one of the two beaks, i. e. the beak 2.5 and the strikerwhich operates the cutter 23, are both carried by an arm 3h which ismounted on a shaft 40 pivoted in the die cylinder 16: the shaft 44? hasa second arm 4-1 fitted with a roller d2 controlled by a cam 45. Thiscam can either be rotated (by gearing not shown) from the die cylinderto rotate at one half the speed of the cylinder or it can be locked tothe cylinder.

When the cam rotates, it rocks the arm inwardly in one rotation of thedie cylinder and outwardly in the next rotation: this moves the striker2&- clear of the cutter 23 and the beak 25 clear of the wire 1% in onerotation of the die cylinder so that the wire length is not cut and thewire length is not taken by the beak: in the next rotation of the diecylinder, the slower rotat ing cam rocks the arm 39 to move the strikerand the beak outwardly so that the cutter 23 is operated to cut a lengthof wire and the beak 25 is operated to take the cut length and to carryit round to the staple forming position in register with the punch 29.

When the cam 42 is locked to the die cylinder 16 the arm 39 is held atits outward position so that the striker 24 operates the cutter in everyrotation of the die cylinder and the beak as" is held in position totake the cut length of wire also in every rotation of the die cylinder.

The construction shown in the drawings is intended to insert two staplesin alignment across the webs to be stapled; for this purpose, themechanism described is duplicated by the provision of an additional disc16 on the shaft 16' as is shown in Figure 3, there being however only asingle cam 43 to operate a single shaft 40 having mounted on it two arms39 one for each mechanism. The shaft 40 extends through both discs 16and rotates therewith in an orbit about the shaft 16'. The shaft 40 alsoextends through a supporting disc 16" which is mounted fast on the shaft16.

The mechanism for controlling the operation of the mechanism to enable acollect and a non-collect run to be dealt with is more fully describedin co-pending application Serial No. 328,578 filed December 30, 1952,now Patent No. 2,709,808 dated June 7, 1955 so that further descriptionin this application is believed to be unnecessary.

The wire feed mechanism comprising the rollers 20, 21 is preferably, asis shown, that described and claimed in co-pending application SerialNo. 386,888 filed October 19, 1953, now Patent No. 2,754,958 dated July17, 1956.

We claim:

1. In a rotary stapling mechanism having a continuously rotatingstaple-forming die cylinder provided with a diametral passagetherethrough; a component movable in said passage to and from a firstposition, in which one end of said component forms the base of astaple-forming recess in said die cylinder, from and to a secondposition in which said one end of said component is substantially flushwith the surface of said die cylinder; means for moving staple wireacross said recess; a continuously rotating cylinder adjacent to saiddie cylinder and having means operable in one rotated position of saiddie cylinder for forcing a length of wire into said recess to form astaple and operable in another rotated position of said die cylinder toengage the other end of said component to move the latter to said secondposition to eject the formed staple: the combination of limiting meansrespectively on said die cylinder and said component spaced from eachother in the direction of movement of said component and beingcooperable to limit movement of said component towards at least one ofsaid positions, and shock absorber means interposed between saidlimiting means and being deformable in the direction of movement of saidcomponent for absorbing shocks incident to movement of said component.

2. A construction as set forth in claim 1 including spring meansinterposed between said limit means for moving said component from saidsecond position to said first position.

3. A construction as set forth in claim 1 in which said limit meanscomprise an enlargement on said component intermediate its ends and amember on said die cylinder projecting radially inwardly of said passagein the path of said enlargement.

4. A construction as set forth in claim 3 in which said enlargementcomprises a flange extending circumferentially about said component andin which said member comprises an annular part through which saidcomponent extends.

5. A construction as set forth in claim 4 in which said shock absorbermeans comprises a rubber-like element surrounding said component betweensaid flange and said member.

6. A construction as set forth in claim 1 in which the means on saidadjacent rotary cylinder is operable in said one rotated position ofsaid die cylinder to engage said one end of said component to move saidcomponent to its said first position.

7. A construction as set forth in claim 5 in which the space betweensaid members is greater than the combined lengths of said rubber-likeelements and said flange so as to enable said component to have limitedfree movement in said passage.

8. In a rotary stapling mechanism having a continuously rotatingstapleforming die cylinder provided with a diametral passagetherethrough; a component movable in said passage to and from a firstposition, in which one end of said component forms the base of astapleforming recess in said die cylinder, from and to a second positionin which said one end of said component is substantially flush with thesurface of said die cylinder; means for moving staple wire across saidrecess; a continuously rotating punch cylinder adjacent to said diecylinder and having a punch operable in one rotated position of said diecylinder for forcing a length of wire into said recess to form a stapleand operable in another rotated position of said die cylinder to engagethe other end of said component to move the latter to said secondposition to eject the formed staple: the combination of limiting meanson said die cylinder and said component cooperable to limit movement ofsaid component towards at least one of said positions, shock absorbermeans interposed between said limiting means for absorbing shocksincident to movement of said component, and means resiliently urging thepunch radially outwardly of the punch cylinder to enable the punch toaccommodate itself to varying positions of the ends of the component.

9. in a rotary stapling mechanism having a continuously rotatingstaple-forming die cylinder provided with a diametral passagetherethrough; a component movable in said passage to and from a firstposition in which one end of said component forms the base of astaple-forming recess, from and to a second position in which said oneend of said component is substantially flush with the surface of saiddie cylinder; means for moving staple wire across said recess; acontinuously rotating punch cylinder adjacent to said die cylinder andhaving a punch operable in one rotated position of said die cylinder forforcing a length of wire into said recess to form a staple and operablein another rotated position of said die cylinder to engage the other endof said component to move the latter to said second position to ejectthe formed staple: the combination of limiting means on said diecylinder and said component cooperable to limit movement of saidcomponent towards each of said positions, shock absorber meansinterposed between said limiting means for absorbing shocks incident tomovement of said component, and means resiliently urging the punchradially outwardly of the punch cylinder to enable the punch toaccommodate itself to varying positions of the ends of the component.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS859,321 Myers July 9, 1907 881,900 Church Mar. 17, 1908 964,202 BonnesenJuly 12, 1910 2,709,808 Murrell June 7, 1955

